Taking Pets on Holiday in Tasmania

As happens, last week’s Think Tasmania article about pet-friendly accommodation sparked much discussion and feedback. The message has been received, loud and clear: our readers want us to provide information. They want their pets on holiday with them; so we need to conduct extensive research.

Paul McIntyre from ABC Radio is the producer of the Statewide Evenings program. He was quick to contact Think Tasmania, asking if I’d talk about the subject on air. I agreed, and even though I usually avoid public speaking like the plague, Helen Shield is such a lovely host she made sure the chat went well. Thanks to those who’ve since voiced approval… you are too kind.

Anyway, during the conversation, the point was raised that taking “pets” on holiday probably really meant “dogs” (as opposed to cats, guinea pigs and goldfish). Helen even laughed, wondering what tourists could possibly hope to gain from taking Fluffy with them. Well Helen, do we have news for you!

Renee Evans, the owner/manager of Willaway Motel Apartments in Ulverstone joined our conversation on Facebook to confirm their accommodation was super pet-friendly. Renee owns her own Cavoodle named Benson as well as ten fantail pigeons. The motel on the north west coast welcomes guests with pets on holiday in Tasmania; and not just dogs, either. They’ve apparently had cats, budgies and even a cockatoo come to stay!

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Travelling in Tasmania with a pet bird?

The discussion also delved into the requirements of both the accommodation provider and the person taking their pets on holiday with them. Guests at Willaway Motel are asked to bring their own pet-bedding and clean up after the animals. In Renee’s experience, most responsible pet owners are inclined to do the right thing anyway. They’ve so far had only good experiences with people travelling with their pets. Benson often gets asked out to meet new playmates.

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Love an experience involving animals (pictured ~ Charli Dodson)

Pets on Holiday: First Hand Experience

Renee went on to say: “we’d love you to come and meet Benson. He loves the Motel Life!!! On many, many occasions people stay with us when they’re travelling for dog shows up the coast. We’ve had many beautiful dogs stay and the pet owners are fantastic people too”.

It is great to know we can assist business owners connect with our readers (aka their potential customers). In fact, we had a call from a listener following the Statewide Evenings interview with ABC Radio, asking for our assistance. He and his wife are planning to open a pet-friendly accommodation property soon, also near Ulverstone as it happens. They feel the state really needs additional options for people taking pets on holiday. Many readers have expressed the very same opinion to us.

What to Expect: Rules of The Road

Louise from Alice’s Cottages did share some other useful tips, outlining what people could expect from the property owner when taking pets on holiday. Points included adequate safe fencing, access to water bowls, shade and shelter, waste management and clean covers for the furniture.

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Are pets allowed inside on the furniture?

In return, each property should clearly stipulate their own rules for guests travelling with pets on holiday. Importantly, dogs should not be left unsupervised, say while the family heads out for a nice dinner. Dogs should also be kept on a lead around other guests and animals (including farm stock and wildlife). As Renee concluded, responsible people are likely to do the right thing in any situation, regardless of their travelling companions.

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Horses on holiday in Tasmania (photo by Dan Fellow)

And the final word about taking pets on holiday, goes to this Think Tasmania reader…

Comments relevant to this article are always most welcome, just leave a reply below. But first… please confirm the date of this article. Have you found something current, or is this ancient information? Either way, thanks for your company and come back again soon.

About The Author

Researching and reporting all things Tasmanian: what a great job! That's where Tania finds herself now, immersed in the fantastic lifestyle offered by Australia's island state. With her family, she lives it, writes about it and takes the photos to promote it. And now she shares it all with her readers...

2 Comments

Thanks for the informative article guys! We also welcome dogs on a lead at Tahune: and on any State Forest! At the AirWalk, dogs can pretty much enjoy anything us humans can. This includes walking the AirWalk, Swinging Bridges, Huon Pine walk and the 6km bike track. Dogs can even stay overnight in our designated camping/motor home/caravan area. Regrettably we do not have facilities for pets to stay overnight in the Lodge.

Thanks for that Sarah. As you can see from the photos of our baby (top), she quite likes to sleep inside on the beds!! Unless we can sneak her inside the AirWalk Lodge, we’ll have to invest in a motor-home so we can stay overnight. That’s another thing on our agenda for “one day”. We’ll be happy to visit again for a day-trip though, and we’re extremely happy to hear we can walk a dog in the forest reserve. That is fabulous, and not an option available for national parks. Cheers!